Picker for looms



sept 3, 1946- w. A. BLANCHARD 2,407,054

PICKER FOR LOOMS Filed March 1, 1946 fili! INVENTOR WILLIAM A. BLANGIMRD wf/marg- ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 3, 1946 PICKER FOR Looms William A.Blanchard, Millhury, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works,Worcester, Mass., a corporation of lldassachusetts Application Maren 1,1946, serial Nq. i651,237

laims. (Cl. 139-160) This invention relates to improvements in loompickers and it is the general object ofthe invention to provide -apicker made 0f felt in which metallic wool is incorporated.

It is another object of the invention to provide a picker built up of anumber of `layers of 4felt in which is incorporated a considerable massof metallic fibers which may be in the forni of a metal wool. The metalfibers may be made of any suitable metal, such -as ,stainless steel,hard brass, or copper.

It is another object of `the invention to provide the picker with apicker stickshieldheld in Dosition by rivets or the like which securethe several layers of felt together.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of myinvention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a picker made according to my present inventionshowing the same related to a picker spindle and a picker stick,

Fig 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detailed section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the picker stick shield or guard,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the relation of the metallicfibers in the shuttle engaging part of the picker when the latter isfirst put in use, and

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 but showing the arrangement which themetallic fibers assumed after the picker has been in use a short time.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the picker P is of the typewhich is mounted for sliding on a picker spindle I and has a slotdesignated generally at I I to receive the upper end of the picker stickI2. The kind of picker shown in Fig. 1 is used more particularly at thedrop shuttle box end of fancy looms, but certain features of myinvention are not limited to this particular type of picker.

The picker is made of several layers I3 of metal impregnated felt theright ends of which are enclosed in a U-strip I4 similar to the layersI3 to form a shuttle engaging head H. At the left end of the picker asseen in Fig. 2 there is formed a bearing indicated generally at I5 madeof layers of metal impregnated felt located around a cylindrical bearingsleeve I6 which slides along the spindle Ill. This bearing sleeve may bemade of any appropriate lov;7 friction material, preferably metallic,and has its ends ared as at II to be heldin position in the bearing I5.

The slot I I is dened by a picker stick shield or guard G having rfrontand back vertical walls 20 and 2l, respectively, as viewed in Fig. 2,and -having right and left vertical walls 22 and 23, respectively,Figsfl `and 4, preferably integral with the walls 20 andY 2l. Oppositelyextending attaching wings 24 integral with the upper ends of the wallsZ2 and 23 are `perforated as'at 25. The several layers of felt areVbound together by a plurality of rivets 26 two of which pass throughthe openings 25. .Fig. 3 `indicates -how one of the .wings 24 is heldlby .its rivet 12,6.'A The rivets may besimilar to thoseused heretoforein the manufacture of pickers and in addition to their usual function ofholding the layers I3 together certain of them also position the guardG.

An important part of my invention resides in the fact that the severallayers of felt have incorporated into them a considerable amount ofine-- tallic fibers. These fibers are introduced during the manufactureof the sheet of felt from which the layers I3 and strip I4 are latercut, and may constitute up to 50% of the fibrous content of the layers.The metallic fibers may be in the form of Wool with the various fibersthereof intermingied with each other and also with the textile fibers ofwhich the felt part of the picker is made. In order to prevent rustingthe metal wool may be made either of stainless steel, hard brass orcopper, or any other suitable metal which can be formed into thinWirelike fibers. The usual fulling operations incident to making thefelt sheet insure close intermingling of the several bers, and when thelayers have been assembled to take the arrangement indicated moreparticularly in Fig. 2, the picker may be subjected to additionalfulling. In this latter fulling operation the metallic bers of adjacentlayers will intermingle with each other and tend to integrate the Dickerinto a homogeneous unit.

When the picker is first put in use the metallic fibers will bedistributed more or less uniformly throughout the head H, as indicateddiagrammatically in Fig. 5, but as the picker continues in use a pocker3U will be formed in the head by tip 3| of the shuttle S. Duringformation of this pocket the metallic fibers will become compacted andconcentrated around the pocket as indicated at 32 in Fig. 6. The metalfibers originally in that part of the head H in which the pocket 30 isformed are bent or otherwise deformed to produce a hard surface forengagement with the shuttle tip.

certain of the rivets utilized to hold together the several layers offelt. It will further be noted with particular reference to Fig. 6 thatas theV result of use of the picker the metallic bers are concentratedaround the shuttle tip receiving pocket 30 and eventually build up suchan amount Vl0 by means of a guard which is held in position by ofstrength as to resist further deepening `Vof the pocket.

Having thus described my invention it Will be seen that changes andmodications may be made therein by those skilled in the art Withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not Wishto be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. A loom picker made of material comprising essentially an intermingledmixture of textile and metallic fibers.

2. A loom picker comprising a plurality of layers fastened together andhaving a shuttle engaging head, said layers being made of feltimpregnated with metallic Wool.

3. A loom picker made of a plurality of layers fastened together andhaving a shuttle engaging 4 head, said layers being made of intermingledtextile bers and metallic wool.

4. A loom picker made of a plurality of layers fastened together andhaving a shuttle engaging head, said layers being made of substantiallyequal parts of intermingled textile fibers and non-corrosive metallicfibers.

5K. A loom picker having incorporated therein metallic fibers and havinga slot extending therethrough for a picker stick, and a guardsurrounding said slot and secured to the picker to hold the picker stickout of engagement with the metallic bers in the picker.

6. In a loom picker made of a plurality of layers of material includingtextile and metallic fibers, said picker having a picker stick slottherethrough, a guard in said slot to prevent engagement of the pickerstick with the metallic bers of thepicker, and rivets holding saidlayers together, certain of said rivets securing said guard tothepicker. Y

7; In a loom picker adapted for sliding movement along a picker spindle,said picker being composed essentially of a mixture of textile andmetallic fibers, and a sleeve member held in said picker to surround thespindle and prevent engagement of the latter by the metallic bers of thepicker.

8. A loom picker made of material comprising essentially a uniformmixture of textile and metallic fibers, said picker having a head inwhich is a shuttle tip receiving pocket around which is a concentrationof metallic fibers.

WILLIAM A. BLANCHARD,

